Tobit 1 1 This book tells the story of Tobit, son of Tobiel, son of Hananiel, son of Aduel, son of Gabael of the family of Asiel, of the tribe of Naphtali, 2 who during the reign of Shalmaneser, 2 king of Assyria, was taken captive from Thisbe, which is south of Kedesh Naphtali in upper 当亚述王厄乃默撒在位时,他从提斯被掳去。提斯贝是在加里肋亚山区,位于纳斐塔里的刻德士之南,哈祚尔之西,缶哥尔之北偏西。 3 I, Tobit, have walked all the days of my life on the paths of truth and righteousness. I performed many charitable works for my kinsmen and my people who had been deported with me to 我托彼待一生岁月常遵循正义的路,时常大方周济与我一同被掳到亚述国尼尼微城的兄弟和同胞。 4 When I lived as a young man in my own country, 当我年幼在我故乡以色列地时,我的宗族全纳斐塔里支派离弃了达味家和耶路撒冷城;这城本是由以色列众支派中选出,叫以色列众支派献祭的地方,在那里为世世代代建有祝圣于天主的居所圣殿。 5 3 All my kinsmen, like the rest of the tribe of my forefather Naphtali, used to offer sacrifice on all the mountains of Galilee as well as to the young bull which Jeroboam, king of Israel, had made in Dan. 我所有的兄弟和我的宗族纳斐塔里全家,都向以色列王雅洛贝罕,在靠近加里肋亚山区的丹所建立的牛犊举行祭献。 6 4 I, for my part, would often make the pilgrimage alone to 惟有我一人按照给以色列所规定的永久法律,每逢庆节,常到耶路撒冷去。我带着初熟的田产,头胎的畜牲,什一的牲畜和初剪羊毛,急速前往耶路撒冷, 7 and present them to the priests, Aaron's sons, at the altar. To the Levites who were doing service in Jeusalem I would give the tithe of grain, wine, olive oil, pomegranates, figs, and other fruits. And except for sabbatical years, I used to give a second tithe in money, which each year I would go and disburse in 交给亚郎的后裔司祭们,以作祭品。我又把十分之一的麦子、酒、油、石榴,无花果以及其余的硬壳果实,送给在耶路撒冷供职的肋未后裔;又将六年内应缴纳的第二种什一税变为金钱,作我每年在耶路撒冷时的费用。 8 The third tithe I gave to orphans and widows, and to converts who were living with the Israelites. Every third year I would bring them this offering, and we ate it in keeping with the decree of the Mosaic law and the commands of Deborah, the mother of my father Tobiel; for when my father died, he left me an orphan. 此外,我还带去第三种什一之物,施舍给孤儿寡妇和那些依附以色列子民的外方人,我每三年施舍一次,并且我们还一起聚餐:这是梅瑟法律规定的命令,也是家父的母亲,阿纳尼耳的妻子德波辣的吩咐;因为我父亲去了世,遗下了我作孤儿。 9 When I reached manhood, I married Anna, a woman of our own lineage. By her I had a son whom I named Tobiah. 及至成年,我由同族中娶了一个名叫亚纳的女子,她生了一个儿子,给他起名叫多俾亚。 10 Now, after I had been deported to 我被掳到亚述作俘虏时,曾流徒到尼尼微。那时我的众兄弟和同胞都吃异民的食物, 11 but I refrained from eating that kind of food. 但是我却自律,总不吃异民的食物, 12 Because of this wholehearted service of God, 因为我全心想念我的天主。 13 the Most High granted me favor and status with Shalmaneser, so that I became purchasing agent for all his needs. 14 5 Every now and then until his death I would go to Media to buy goods for him. I also deposited several pouches containing a great sum of money with my kinsman Gabael, son of Gabri, who lived at Rages, in Media. 因此,我常到玛待去为他购买货物,直到他死去为止。我在玛待国辣杰斯,加彼黎的儿子加贝罗兄弟那里,存放了几袋钱,共计十“塔冷通”银子。 15 6 But when Shalmaneser died and his son Sennacherib succeeded him as king, the roads to Media became unsafe, so I could no longer go there. 乃默撒死后他的儿子散乃黑黎布继位为王的时,与玛待的交通断绝了,因我再不能到玛待那里去。 16 During Shalmaneser's reign I performed many charitable works for my kinsmen and my people. 在厄乃默撒年间,我对同族的兄弟常大方施舍。 17 7 I would give my bread to the hungry and my clothing to the naked. If I saw one of my people who had died and been thrown outside the walls of 18 I also buried anyone whom Sennacherib slew when he returned as a fugitive from 当散乃黑黎布因说了诅咒的亵语,在上天大主惩罚他之日,由犹太逃回之后,无论杀了谁我都予以埋葬,因为他在盛怒之下,杀了许多以色列子民,我便把他们的尸体收藏起来,予以埋葬。因此散乃黑黎布寻找尸首,一个也没有找到。 19 But a certain citizen of 20 Afterward, all my property was confiscated; I was left with nothing. All that I had was taken to the king's palace, except for my wife Anna and my son Tobiah. 但是我所有的一切财产,除了我的妻子亚纳和我的儿子多俾亚外,都毫不留情地没收了去,归入王库。 21 8 But less than forty days later the king was assassinated by two of his sons, who then escaped into the mountains of Ararat. His son Esarhaddon, who succeeded him as king, placed Ahiqar, my brother Anael's son, in charge of all the accounts of his kingdom, so that he took control over the entire administration. 然而还没有过四十天,他的两个儿子把他杀死,逃到阿辣辣特山里去了。他另一个儿子厄撒哈冬继位为王,并且任命我的兄弟阿纳耳的儿子阿希加总理他全国的财务,有权掌管一切事务。 22 Then Ahiqar interceded on my behalf, and I was able to return to 那时阿希加为我求情,我才得以回到尼尼微,因为阿希加曾在亚述王散乃黑黎布执政时作过酒正,又掌过指玺,当过家宰和财政等职,而厄撒哈冬又重用他;他是我的侄子,又是我的血亲。 Footnotes(注解) 1 [1] Tobit: in the fragments of the book found at 2 [2] Shalmaneser (V) (727-722 B.C.): began the siege of 3 [5] Jeroboam established sanctuaries in Dan and 4 [6] (6-8) Perpetual decree: Deut 12:11, 13-14. Refusing to worship at Jeroboam's shrines, the faithful Tobit continued to bring his offerings to 5 [14] A great sum of money: literally, "ten silver talents," about ten thousand dollars. Rages: modern Rai, about five miles southeast of Teheran. Media: the northwestern part of modern 6 [15] Sennacherib (705-681 B.C.): the son of Sargon (722-705 B.C.); neither was descended from Shalmaneser. Inconsistencies such as this point to the fact that the Book of Tobit is a religious novel (see Introduction; also notes on Tobit 5:6; 14:15). 7 [17] (17-18) Tobit risked his own life to bury the dead. Deprivation of burial was viewed with horror by the Jews. Cf Tobit 4:3-4; 6:15; 14:12-13. 8 [21] Esarhaddon: 681-669 B.C. Ahiqar: a hero of ancient folklore, known for his outstanding wisdom. The Story (or Wisdom) of Ahiqar was very popular in antiquity and is extant in many different forms: Aramaic, Syriac, Armenian, Arabic (Arabian Nights), Greek (Aesop's Fables), Slavonic, Ethiopic, and Romanian. The sacred author makes Tobit the uncle of the famous Ahiqar in order to enhance Tobit's own prestige. See note on Tobit 14:10. |